Layover Surprise

Why Tukwila is better than Tokyo

The 757 touched down on the runway at Sea-Tac airport at 10:29 a.m. The cabin doors opened, and I was off ...

Illustration by Jeremy Collins

The 757 touched down on the runway at Sea-Tac airport at 10:29 a.m. The cabin doors opened, and I was off running.

I had exactly 2:44 in which to leave the airport, find myself a workout, return and check in before it was wheels-up for a 10 1/2-hour flight to Tokyo, sardine-ed into an economy seat for longer than a standard work day.

My game plan: take advantage of the fitness room at the nearby Marriott. I had stayed there years earlier and made mental note of the heavy-duty treadmills.

All went smoothly at first. The cab ride cost only six dollars—still less than a one-day membership at the closest LA Fitness, which I had also considered. I casually walked through the lobby with my bag of workout clothes. Act like you belong here, I whispered to myself as I avoided eye contact with a receptionist.